


A Chance Meeting

by notjustmom



Series: Box of 64 [28]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Established Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Gen, M/M, Parentlock, apology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2018-11-06 21:56:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11045121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustmom/pseuds/notjustmom
Summary: Rosie and Donovan finally meet. Rosie is 6.





	1. Chapter 1

"Da?"

"Yeah, Ro?" Sherlock shielded his eyes from the sun as he squinted up at her as she dangled from the monkey bars.

"There's a lady on a bench over there, she's kind of looking at us funny."

"Funny? Funny how?" Sherlock turned his head just enough and sighed as he spotted Sally Donovan. She started as their eyes met and made to get up, but he shook his head at her. "Why don't you go on the swings for a bit, Ro, yeah?"

"Sure, Da." Rosie dropped from the bar and dashed off to get the last empty swing.

"May I?" Sherlock raised an eyebrow at Donovan.

"It's a free country." She took another gulp of coffee as he sat down next to her on the bench. They sat quietly together as they watched the kids play in front of them for a bit until Donovan rubbed her nose and murmured,"So...that's Rosie," as she nodded in Rosie's direction.

"Yep."

"There's a bit of John of her in the face, must take after her mum."

"Yep." Sherlock crossed his ankles and closed his eyes.

"She's -"

"6."

"Six. Wow. Didn't think -"

"What, Donovan, didn't think John and I could last this long?" Sherlock muttered with a bit of a smirk.

"No. No - it's not that at all. Damn, I'm not good at this kind of stuff."

"No one is, Donovan. Just say what you need to say."

"DA!!! Look how high I'm going!" Rosie shrieked at him as she flew into the air."LOOK!!!"

Sherlock sat up and smiled at her and called out, "Great, Ro, keep going."

"She loves you." Donovan mumbled to the coffee cup in her hands.

Sherlock turned and faced Donovan for the first time in almost ten years. "Yeah. And I love her. I'm very lucky. You?"

Donovan shook her head. "No. I thought it would get better when I transferred, but men are arses no matter what division they happen to be in. Civilians are worse -" She managed a smirk and muttered, "Of the two of us, you are the one with the family, and I still go out speed dating once a month for the hell of it. Who would have thought it?"

Sherlock looked at her in the way that she recalled all too well. "That's not what I was going to say - I messed up. Back then. Some of it was that I honestly thought you were capable - well, you were, back before John especially, but most of it was I knew I was never going to be as good as you. No matter how hard I worked. The boss always went to you when he was stuck. He should've come to me first, should've talked it out with me. I'm not stupid -" The last bit was directed to her empty cup. 

"No. I know you aren't, you never were, Donovan. You got used by Moriarty just like everyone else, and you really hated me back then, from the first moment we met, if I'm not mistaken?"

"Yeah, yeah I did." Donovan laughed out loud and raised her eyes to meet his. "All that poshness and arrogance and the fact that you were right. You were always right." She blinked and cleared her throat. "I've never believed apologies mean much, but I hope you will accept mine? I am truly sorry, Sherlock. For everything." She threw her cup in the trash and was about to stand up when Sherlock put out his hand. She bit her lip and took his hand, and after a brief moment, let it go. "Thank you. I've got to get back."

Rosie came running up to them, and flung herself into Sherlock's lap. "Hi! I'm Rosie. Are you a friend of my Da? Do you like ducks? And balloons? And bees? I 'specially love bees. My favourite colour is red violet, not violet red, but red violet. It does make a difference, you know. What's your favourite colour?"

Donovan grinned and thought for a moment. "I don't think I have a favourite colour."

Rosie raised an eyebrow at her and crossed her arms. "Everyone has a favourite colour. Da loves Plum, Papa, he keeps changing, every time I ask him, he tells me a different colour, I think he's just messing with me, I think he really loves Tan, but if he says that he thinks I'll think he's boring and my Papa is not boring. Just a bit silly sometimes. We're going for an ice lolly, do you want to come with us? Can she come Da, maybe she can figure out her colour by the time we get there?"

"Donovan?" Sherlock watched the DI's face begin to crumble before she recovered her normal neutral expression.

"Uhm, not today, Rosie, I do have to get back to work, but maybe another day? It will give me time to figure out my colour, yeah?"

"Okay. What work do you do that's so important you can't have an ice lolly?" Rosie glared at her, waiting for an answer.

"I, uhm, I'm a detective, like your - like your Da."

"Oh, you mean you do what Uncle Greg does?"

"Uncle Gr- yes, just like your Uncle Greg."

"That's cool! You catch bad guys and you're a girl! That's brill! That's what I want to be when I grow up!"

"Ro, let's go get those ice lollies, yeah? The detective needs to get back, maybe next week she'll have more time?"

"Sure, next week." Donovan whispered and tried to smile. "I'll be here."

"Us too. Bye - uhm, what do I call you?" Rosie asked her, then biting her lip trying to decide.

"You can call me Sally, if that's okay?"

"Sally. That's a good name. See you next week, Sally! Come on, Da!!" And with that she threw her arms around a startled Donovan then jumped from Sherlock's lap and was off like a flash toward the ice lolly stand.

"I'm coming, Ro. Next week, then."

"Are you sure?"

"Can't two almost friends have ice lollies together? I mean, I won't tell anyone, if you are worried about your reputation for being a -"

"A what?"

"Never mind. There's a child present."

"She's -"

"What?"

"She's lovely, Sherlock."

"I never know what to say to that. I don't do anything -"

"Yeah, yeah you do, you are there for her, and she knows she is loved."

"I hope so. I never want her to feel - anyway, got to go - let me know if you can't make it, if a case comes up, or something. She always remembers, and I'm sure she will have a drawing or two or fifteen for you. Thank you, Donovan."

"What for?"

"For being kind to her. She doesn't believe there are 'mean' people in the world, 'just people who make bad choices, Da.'"

Donovan nodded. "I'll be here. I promise."

Sherlock smiled, and got up from the bench. "RO! Wait up!" And after a slight nod in Donovan's direction, took off after Rosie.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just a bit of fluff...

"She might not be able to make it, Ro - you know how your Uncle Greg sometimes has to leave parties and things, even when he doesn't want to?"

"She'll be there, Da, she pwom - promised."

Sherlock looked at her face in the mirror as he brushed out her hair and saw her, what was it? Her absolute faith. Faith in people that he never had as a child, even at her age, he had already - "I'm sure she'll be there, Ro. You have those pictures for her?"

"Yup. I wonder what her favourite colour is. I bet it's Cornflower. Dunno why, just seems like her colour."

"Well, let's go find out, hmm?"

 

To Sherlock's relief, Donovan was there on the bench when they arrived. "See, I knew she'd be here. Told you!" She let go of his hand and ran over to her. Sherlock stopped walking and watched as Sally took the offered drawings and raised her eyes just enough to catch his studied gaze. She nodded in his direction, then he watched Rosie scramble up onto the bench and explain each drawing to her. He breathed a sigh of relief as Donovan listened carefully and made some kind comment on each one, then returned the hug Rosie gave her before she slid off the bench and ran to the swings.

"Thank you."

Donovan grinned shyly up at him. "Didn't think I'd ever hear you say those words to me." 

"May I?"

"Of course."

Sherlock sat down next to her, then turned his attention to Rosie.

"She thinks your favourite colour is Cornflower."

"It is."

"Seriously? I would've thought you were more of a Red-Orange, Orange-Red kind of person."

"No. I always coloured in blue. And Cornflower was always the most peaceful, I thought."

"Hmmm." They sat quietly for a long time, just watching Rosie swing, then Sherlock pulled out a package from his coat. "Honestly, I wasn't sure you'd be here, but she knew. So, just in case, I, uhm, got you this. Peace offering, of a sort. Wasn't sure what colouring book to get you - I do owe you an apology, long time coming. I wasn't - I never intended to encroach on your job - I was selfish - I needed the puzzles, the cases, far more than I needed or wanted people to like me. It was easier if people didn't like me." He blinked up at the rare Sky Blue sky, and handed her the gift. "These days, I wouldn't mind a few more friends. And Rosie seems to like you. She trusts her gut feelings, even if she doesn't know what those are yet."

Donovan unwrapped the package and sighed. "I never had the box of 64. They still put in the sharpener."

"It sucks, but as long as you don't have a two year old around the house trying to unwrap and break and taste each colour, they should stay sharp for a while."

"No two year olds. Don't see that happening for me. Like I said last week, Holmes, you are a lucky man."

Sherlock turned to look at her and saw tears well up in the corners of her eyes. He held out his hand and as she took it gratefully, said quietly, "call me Sherlock, hmm? That's what my friends call me, unless they know me too well and they call me, well, things you shouldn't say around six year olds."

"Sally. My name is Sally."

Sherlock nodded. "Sally it is."

Rosie jumped from the swing, landed gracefully as she always did, then ran over to them. "Ice lollies! Time for ice lollies! Did she tell you Da? I told you I was right - I knew Cornflower was her favourite colour. Did you tell him, Sal?" 

"Sal?" Sherlock whispered as Rosie tried to pull them up off the bench.

"Couldn't have her call me Donovan, could I?" She muttered back with a lopsided grin.

"Yeah, you were right, Ro. I shouldn't have doubted you."

"What's your favorite ice lolly, Sal?"

"Anything with chocolate."

"Me, too!" Rosie shrieked and ran over to the stand.

Sherlock laughed and looked over at Donovan. "Looks like you've got a friend for life, Sal."

"Hope so. Don't have so many friends these days."

"You've got at least a couple. Not sure about John, but I think I can talk him around."

Sally rolled her eyes at him, then stood up and offered him her hand, and helped him to his feet, then hugged him, awkwardly at first, then more easily as he wrapped his arms around her. "Forgiven, then."

"Uhmmhmm. I really want that ice lolly I was promised."

"Yeah, me too."

"DAAAA!!! SALLLL, come on!!!"


End file.
